29 million trees dead from bark beetle infestation

brianlux · May 2016

There are a couple of very large pines behind where we live that died this way. They seemed to have turned brown overnight.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/bark-beetles-California-dead-trees-fire-risk-7390544.php

A determined beetle the size of a rice grain is drilling into California's trees, turning the lush forest blanketing the Golden State into a sea of dead wood that's highly flammable.

The most recent data from 2015 estimates bark beetles have killed over 29 million trees, and Cal Fire Education Officer Amy Head said that number is now higher, increasing the fire risk even more.

"They're this itty bitty bug that can do an enormous amount of damage," Head said. "This bug is literally changing the face of our state."

Head is encouraging homeowners who live in urban interface areas to clear dead trees from their yards in preparation for the fire season.
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The drought is to blame for the bark beetle infestation. A healthy tree can defend itself from a beetle attack by producing pitch and pushing the bugs out of their holes, but a water-starved one loses the battle. The beetles bore under the bark, creating a gallery in the wood where they lay their eggs. When the larvae hatch, they eat the cambium layer that carries the trees' nutrients and inject a fungus that thwarts sap production.

"Bark beetles are always there," Head explained. "They're part of the environment in California, but because of the consecutive years of drought, the infestation has reached epidemic levels. We're going into a fifth year of drought and we didn't quite get enough rain fall this winter. The bark beetles are multiplying. They're thriving on these stressed and dying trees."

More at link.

PJ_Soul · May 2016

Yeah that sucks Brian. I don't understand how much of California is going tonsurvive long term. I keep expecting to see a mass exodus, but it sounds like more people jaut keep moving in.

Many of BC's forests have been horribly devastated by the pine beetle over the last 15 years or so - like HUGE devastation - and it is because the winters are no longer cold enough, even up north, to keep them from infesting.

It is terribly depressing to drive around many areas of the province now. There are places that were so incredibly beautiful that are just hideous now because it's all just dead, brown pine trees, as far as the eye can see sometimes. It's even more disturbing when you see it from the air. It's also obviously been a real hit to the economy.
I suppose on the upside, the long invasion is finally slowing down because all the trees are dead and these little fuckers need live trees to thrive. Once they've killed a tree they move on to the next living one.

Jason P · May 2016

Elm trees where I live were wiped out only a few years ago by Dutch Elm Disease

PJ_Soul · May 2016

Jason P said:
Elm trees where I live were wiped out only a few years ago by Dutch Elm Disease

Yeah, I keep reading in Stephen King books about how it's surprising when a character sees an Elm tree in New England, so I looked into wtf that was about. Sounds like Dutch Elm disease has cause total extinction of the Elm in many places.

rgambs · May 2016

PJ_Soul said:

Jason P said:
Elm trees where I live were wiped out only a few years ago by Dutch Elm Disease
Yeah, I keep reading in Stephen King books about how it's surprising when a character sees an Elm tree in New England, so I looked into wtf that was about. Sounds like Dutch Elm disease has cause total extinction of the Elm in many places.

Elm is going strong here on my ten acres, I hope it stays that way. I would hate to see it go the way of the mighty Chestnut, which used to be the bulk of the largest continuous forest on the planet.

2-feign-reluctance · May 2016

Dang!! Little fuckers!!

Jason P · May 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mvmHwCxw5A

brianlux · May 2016

PJ_Soul said:
Yeah that sucks Brian. I don't understand how much of California is going to survive long term. I keep expecting to see a mass exodus, but it sounds like more people jaut keep moving in.

Many of BC's forests have been horribly devastated by the pine beetle over the last 15 years or so - like HUGE devastation - and it is because the winters are no longer cold enough, even up north, to keep them from infesting.

It is terribly depressing to drive around many areas of the province now. There are places that were so incredibly beautiful that are just hideous now because it's all just dead, brown pine trees, as far as the eye can see sometimes. It's even more disturbing when you see it from the air. It's also obviously been a real hit to the economy.
I suppose on the upside, the long invasion is finally slowing down because all the trees are dead and these little fuckers need live trees to thrive. Once they've killed a tree they move on to the next living one.

I'm guessing Raymond F. Dasmann sadly would agree. This particular situation is just one of many difficult situations we will be facing in years to come. Dasmann described and predicted much of this clear back in 1965 when he wrote this book:

chadwick · May 2016

the reason campers & the like are not to bring firewood from other campsites/forested areas, in case their firewood is infested with these little shits.

iowa has the japanese beetle or emerald ash borer that eats ash trees.

good luck california & other lands

here they're doing it & eating raspberry leaves

FoxyRedLa · May 2016

Wtf. This sux. Too bad it can't be mandated that each resident of that area/county have to replace/plant a tree and maintain it/them.

PJfanwillneverleave1 · May 2016

^^^
Mandated to?
Slow down, you can't do that to people.
Will never work.

brianlux · May 2016

Here are a couple of very interesting articles about the work of entomologist Diana Six related to bark beetles. Her approach focuses on the genetics of trees that are able to resist the beetles. It's also interesting to note that one solution- to simply thin forests by cutting down trees without understanding which sub species are beetle resistant- may be a very bad idea.

http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_science_can_help_to_halt_the_western_bark_beetle_plague/2944/

http://www.cbs8.com/story/31017248/new-solution-to-prevent-bark-beetles-from-killing-pines-at-torrey-pines

FoxyRedLa · May 2016

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:
^^^
Mandated to?
Slow down, you can't do that to people.
Will never work.

Lmao. Residents are mandated to maintain all kinds of differ type of properties or they get fined/ticketed.

PJ_Soul · May 2016

FoxyRedLa said:

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:
^^^
Mandated to?
Slow down, you can't do that to people.
Will never work.
Lmao. Residents are mandated to maintain all kinds of differ type of properties or they get fined/ticketed.

Yup. Including as it relates to trees on their properties. People can't just do whatever they want with trees on their property in a lot of places. There are strict bylaws.

29 million trees dead from bark beetle infestation

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